


Time That We Have (Is Like Sand Through Our Hands)

by shiny_starlight



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Meet the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-31
Updated: 2011-12-31
Packaged: 2017-10-28 14:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/308801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_starlight/pseuds/shiny_starlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve wasn't nervous about meeting Danny's family. Not at all. Well... maybe a little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time That We Have (Is Like Sand Through Our Hands)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Written for samantha_kathy for the h50_holidayswap
> 
> Title from a song I heard on the rado but cannot remember for the life of me. The line stuck with me though.
> 
> Originally posted on 22/12/2011

The plane touched down with a bump, drawing Steve’s attention from the view of Newark visible from the window. Beside him, Danny lifted his head from where he’d been resting it since take off at LA on Steve’s shoulder and blinked blearily at him. Steve pushed aside the fact that he found sleepy Danno unbearably cure and brushed his lips gently over Danny’s temple. The detective turned and pressed a sleepy kiss to Steve’s shoulder.

“Sap,” he murmured, and Steve laughed softly.

“Only about you,” he replied.

“If you know what’s good for you, it’ll stay that way, too,” Danny said, stretching as much as possible in the cramped seats. Beside them, people were starting to pull down their luggage and turn on their phones, but Steve ignored them all in favour of eyeing the pull of material over Danny’s broad shoulders as he stretched. Danny turned to him and saw the slightly glazed over look in Steve’s eyes and grinned smugly.

“That smirk isn’t attractive in the slightest,” Steve told him, turning away to pack away the book he’d been ignoring for most of the flight in favour of resting his head against Danny’s.

“Liar,” Danny grinned as he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned forward into Steve’s personal space. “You ok, babe?” he asked, real concern in his voice as he tracked the tiredness in Steve’s face that he’d gotten out of the habit of hiding around him.

“I’m ok,” Steve replied, resting his forehead briefly against his partners.

“Just tired.”

“Did you manage to get any sleep at all?”

“Not much,” he admitted.

“You nervous?” Danny asked him, amusement in his voice.

Steve knew his “No!” was too quick and unfortunately high pitched to be believable.

Danny laughed and brushed his nose against Steve’s cheek. “Relax, Babe,” he said, kissing him lightly on the cheek. “They’re going to love you.”

“How can you be so sure?” Steve hated the uncertainty in his tone, but damnit, he’d never met a lover’s parents or family before. He’d met Cath’s folks, but as a friend, not a romantic partner, and he hadn’t been with anyone else long enough to do the whole ‘meet the family’ thing. Gracie loved him, which Steve knew meant more to Danny than anything else, and Steve knew if it went spectacularly wrong, they’d be five thousand miles away from the rest of the William’s clan for most of their lives. But he didn’t want to cause Danny any more heartache, and a rift with his family would cause a lot of pain for him.

“I know because I love you,” Danny said softly, kissing him gently on the lips. “And because I love you, they’ll love you. That’s how it works.”

“Oh, that’s how it works?” Steve grinned, ignoring the flush and thrill of happiness that went through him every time Danny declared his love for him. “What is it? A Williams Family Rule?”

“Yep,” Danny grinned. “We’ll give each other hell, and make everyone want to beat their head against a brick wall at times, but we’ll love ya whilst we’re doing it. Now move it, Super SEAL. My mom’s lasagna is calling me.”

He started herding Steve out of his seat and down the aisle of the mostly empty plane, all the while extolling the virtues of New Jersey, his family and the food. Mainly, he focused on the food.

Despite his (justified) nerves, Steve felt himself starting to relax as they collected their bags and fought through the crowds to collect their baggage and get to their hired car.

~*~

They stepped out of the terminal to a loud, slightly smoggy mid afternoon, and Danny took a deep breath, letting the sounds and smells wash over him. He was home. He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) to find Steve looking at him with what looked like a mix of affection and the urge to mock him horribly. It was a face Danny was very familiar with.

“Shuddup, ok?” Danny grumbled before Steve could start. “I haven’t been home in almost three years. Allow me to savour the moment here.”

“Sure thing, Danno,” Steve smirked. “I can see how you want to savour all this.” He gestured to the crowded and loud sidewalk in front of Arrivals.

“What did I just say?” Danny warned, poking a finger into Steve’s chest. The bastard only laughed at him. Danny threw his hands up in the air and took off towards the car rental place, exasperated with his partner, but quietly happy that Steve had seemingly snapped out of the funk he’d been in for the past few days. The Steve that trailed him, protesting his innocence in all things mocking, was a little more relaxed and much quicker to push back when Danny pushed that he had been in the days leading up to their trip.

Danny understood, he really did. From all the stories and memories that he’d shared with his partner over the years, Steve got in image in his mind of a loud, pushy, passionate family that fought almost more often than not, but that was fiercely protective of their own. And it was true. This was his family. It was just that it was so different for Steve, with a father he had barely spoken to in years, and a sister he was still tentatively re-building his relationship with. Danny knew that it had to be intimidating, but he also knew that his family would love him. He was sure that he would get at least one punch in the arm from one of his sisters asking him how he managed to snag such a hot guy.

Danny was just lucky.

Once they had filled in the paperwork and were heading out to the low slung Mustang they’d rented, Steve tried to pry the keys out of Danny’s hands. But that was just. Not. Happening.

“Come on, Danno,” Steve wheedled. “I have been to Jersey before, you know. I can drive the Turnpike without killing us, you know.”

“While a part of me acknowledges this,” Danny told him, heading to the trunk to load their luggage, “you’ll have to pry these keys out of my cold, dead hands.” He jangled the keys at Steve. “I’m sure you can navigate the Turnpike, and follow the Sat Nav and get us to the hotel with only minor injuries, this is my _home_ , and I am driving. Capisce?”

“Capisce?” Steve laughed.

“Yes, capisce. You’re in Jersey now. Get in.”

Steve rolled his eyes and laughed at him, but did as he was told. Danny almost had Steve trained just the way he wanted him. Now he just needed to break the SEAL’s dependence on and love of things that went bang.

The car purred to life under Danny’s hands, and he smiled as the radio kicked in. He tuned it to his favourite station and pulled out into the mid-day traffic. God help him, be he had even missed the traffic.

Well, maybe just a little bit.

God it was good to be back in Jersey. Back, but not home.

Jersey would always be his first home; a shining example of how a place should be. But, as much as it pained him to admit it, his home now consisted of more beaches, palm trees and pineapples.

And Grace and Steve, of course. They were the most important components.

His home was wherever Grace was, but now, it wouldn’t be complete without Steve by his side. Somehow, from the looks that he occasionally threw Danny’s way, Steve still doesn’t really get that. That’s why they’re here, now, in Jersey, about to see his family.

His parents had been married for 40 years the following Thursday, and they were having a massive, blow out party on Friday. Danny was always going to have been going, but he’d badgered Steve, poked him and basically wouldn’t leave it alone until he agreed to come with. It was all part of Danny’s detailed, and necessary, plan to let Steve know that Danny was in this for life without, you know, actually saying the words. Emotions were still not Steve’s strong point thanks to years and years of Army repression. They gave him Constipated Face and made him start to hyperventilate.

Danny really wished he was kidding about that. But considering the fact that Steve nearly passed out the first time he told Danny he loved him, he’ll take it as read that expressing emotions does to Steve what Kryptonite does to Superman.

What? He’d liked comics when he’d been a kid. He was returning to his youth here, driving down familiar roads, regaling Steve with stories of growing up in Jersey as they searched for their hotel.

They were welcome to stay with his folks of course, but his parent’s house was a hub for all Williams’ in the vicinity, especially now because of the party, and Danny figured that Steve could use a clean break from the insanity once in a while.

The streets grew more and more familiar the closer they got to Hoboken where his parent’s lived. He’d played on them as a kid, and walked and protected them as an adult and a cop. Steve watched, amused and laughing, as Danny blasted the horn and yelled abuse at the asshole that cut him off, in true Jersey fashion.

“Calm down, Jersey,” he grinned and Danny snorted.

“Believe it or not, this is me being calm,” he said as he pulled into the Holiday Inn parking lot.

~*~

The check in process went pretty quickly and Danny dumped their bags in their room, obviously eager to get to his parent’s house. Steve was tempted to stall, drag his feet and insist on a shower to work out the knots and tension he felt after several hours in a cramped seat with no where near enough leg room for his six foot frame.

Danny, Steve had been amused to seem had been fine on that score.

His partner had changed his shirt, put on a sweater and ran his hands through his hair a few times so he would look more ‘presentable’, and was obviously eager to go. Accepting his fate with a sigh, he went into the bathroom to splash some water on his face and pulled a fresh shirt out of his bag. Time to face the music.

The drive to Danny’s parent’s place only took 15 or so minutes and Danny talked the _entire way_. His partner liked to talk, this much was obvious to anyone who ever got within five feet of him. But now, he was almost babbling with excitement. Danny loved his family with such ferocity that it gave Steve a pang to think about his own family history. When his mom died, they’d fallen apart and never really figured out how to put themselves back together again.

Eventually, Danny turned down a street into a nice, quiet residential neighbourhood.

“That’s it,” he said, pointing out an old but well maintained two story house towards the end of a row of houses. The front lawn was well tended and several pots of flowers gave the garden some colour. Three cars were parked in the driveway and on the curb in front of the house.

“Those two belong to my folks,” he said, pointing to the two in the driveway as he pulled in behind the third. “That one belongs to my sister, Maggie, I think. She said she’d gotten a new one. Katie might be here too. She only lives about five minutes away so she usually just walks.”

Steve nodded, refusing to acknowledge the unease in his stomach, and followed Danny out of the car and up the drive. Before they could even reach the front door, it flew open and a dark haired woman ran out and practically tackled Danny into a hug.

“Danny!” she yelled, squeezing him so hard he nearly fell over. Steve noted with a pang how hard Danny hugged his sister back. She was too young to be his mother, unless she had an amazing plastic surgeon. It was either Maggie or Katie, and Steve put his money on it being Katie, based on the stories he’d heard from Danny, Gracie and even from Rachael.

“Hey Kitty Kat’, Danny grinned, standing back a little to look her up and down. “You’re looking well. Everything going ok with Dave?”

Katie rolled her eyes at him.

“Yes, we’re fine. Yes, he’s treating me well. No, I don’t need you to go beat him up for me, God Dan…”

Danny laughed and pulled her back into a hug. When they pulled apart, Steve pretended not to notice the tears they were both quickly wiping away. Katie finally seemed to notice Steve’s presence and stepped around Danny, punching them in the shoulder as she went.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to Steve?” she asked.

“Well, I was going to, but then I got attacked by a noisy, brunette hoyden and never really got the chance.”

Steve laughed when Katie punched him again.

“Hoyden, Danno? Really?”

“Gracie’s going through a princess phase at the moment, as you well know. All the princesses in these stories are hoydens. You know it’s true… you read them with her all the time.”

“Ooh, you let him call you Danno?” Katie teased. “Thought that was Gracie only territory.”

“It was,” Danny grumbled.

“That’s true,” Steve grinned, completely unrepentant. “He asked me to stop. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Nice to know supposedly grown men still indulge in pig-tail pulling every now and then,” Katie laughed and pulled Steve into a surprise hug. “Hi Steve. I’m Katie. I’ve heart a ridiculous amount about you from my brother and my niece in the past three years, so it’s great to finally meet you in person.

“Probably should have warned you about the stealth hugs,” Danny said, noting Steve’s surprise. “She’ll hug anything if it stays still long enough.”

“This is true,” Katie laughed, releasing Steve and grabbing both arms to drag them into the house. “Come on. Mom’s just got off a shift at the hospital so she’s just showering the day off. Mom’s a nurse,” she told Steve.

“So Danny’s told me.”

“Anyway, she told me and Mags to keep an eye out for you, and since Bethany and Jacob wanted to go jump leaves in the back yard, I was chosen for curtain twitcher duty.

She pulled them through a short hall and into a warm, inviting living room. Pictures vied with grandkids art projects for pride of place on every available surface. Katie strode through to the attached dining room and yelled out the window ‘Hey guys, they’re here!” as Steve watched Danny take it all in. It had been three years since Danny had stood in this house and this room and Steve hoped any changes were for the better.

A chorus of yells and the stampede of feet came through the kitchen and into the living room as Danny’s other sister, niece and nephew barreled into him. The kid’s cries of ‘Uncle Danny’ mixed with Maggie’s more tearful greeting as she tackled him into a hug. Danny was strong, but the basic physics of momentum of one guy vs. three moving, determined Jersey natives sent him crashing to the ground. The kids, Bethany (she was nine, if Steve remembered correctly,) and Jacob (he was seven) shrieked with delight and pounced on both Danny and their mother, laughing hysterically at the commotion.

Katie didn’t even try to stifle her laughs as they pounced on Danny when he tried to get up, and even looked tempted to join in.

Luckily, before she could add to the William’s pile on the floor, Danny’s mother made an appearance. She was a small woman, a little shorter than Danny, in her early sixties with brown hair liberally streaked with grey and laughter lines around her eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she wore comfortable looking jeans and a sweater.

“Daniel Matthew Steven Williams, you are back in my house two minutes and already you’re in trouble?” she asked, hands on her hips and a badly hidden smile on her lips.

Danny carefully extracted himself from the floor and moved to hug his mother tightly. She clung on just as securely and buried he face in his shoulder. Danny murmured something in her ear and she stood back to give him a teary smile. She cupped his cheek and smiled at him before standing up on tip toe to kiss his forehead.

“Welcome home, Daniel,” she smiled and Danny squeezed her shoulder. She looked past him and saw Steve and her smile lit up even more.

Steve fought his blush.

“You must be Steve,” she said, striding forward and pulled him into another hug. Steve hadn’t been hugged so much in a short space of time since he’d been a kid.

“Sorry, family of huggers,” Danny laughed.

“Oh hush Danny,” his mother scolded, releasing Steve. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Same here, Mrs. Williams,” Steve began, but she cut him off.

“No Steve. That won’t do. You are my son-in-law in all but name, so my name is Alison, Allie, Mom or Ma, not Mrs. Williams or any variation thereof. Are we clear?”

Steve blinked at the rush of words. At least he knew now where Danny got it from.

“Yes, A… Allie. We’re clear.”

“Good boy,” she smiled. “Your dad’s just out walking Gizmo,” she told Danny. “He’ll be back in a bit.”

As if on cue, the front door opened and a large golden blur barreled into the room, leaping on Danny and almost knocking him to the floor again.

“Gizmo!” Danny grinned, wrapping his arms around the dog and rubbing his ears. The dog’s tail whipped back and forth fast enough to generate electricity and he nearly collapsed with joy. A deep laugh from the door made Steve turn. Danny’s father, Christopher, had been a firefighter for decades and it showed in his well built frame and air of authority. Steve unconsciously snapped to attention and William laughed again.

“Hey, Pop”. Danny rose to hug his father tightly. Again, there were hastily brushed away tears.

“Welcome home, son,” Christopher said, choking back tears of his own. He coughed and strode forward to Steve. “You must be Steve,” he said, holding out his hand to shake. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

“Likewise, Sir,” Steve replied. Christopher nodded then looked at Steve again, back at Danny and then back at Steve.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you really do have a type?” he asked Danny, laughter in his voice.

 

~*~

A couple of hours later, Danny went looking for Steve. Maggie’s husband Richard had arrived after work, as had Katie’s husband Dave, and the noise levels had risen to ear splitting levels. Everyone talked all over each other in a bit to catch him up on news; Maggie’s decision after ten years of being a nurse to train to become a doctor, Katie’s accountancy firm giving her an option for promotion in the next few months, Richard’s kids from the school pranking the supply teacher so badly that he left and refused to come back, and Dave’s work as a firefighter in a different firehouse from Pop. Gizmo ran between them all, barking joyfully at Danny every now and then before he settled down to sleep beside Danny’s chair. It was loud, insane and Danny loved every wonderful minute of it. The conversation slowed occasionally when someone mentioned Mattie, but someone, usually Mags, directed the conversation elsewhere pretty quickly. His mom wasn’t dealing with it very well, even after all this time, Danny knew. God knows he still felt the guilt himself.

Through it all, through the dinner of his mom’s amazing pasta and cheesecake for after, Steve had sat there with a vaguely shell-shocked look on his face. Sure, he’d laughed and talked and answered, as well as asked, dozens of questions, but Danny knew Steve was still really unused to it all. About half an hour ago, he’d motioned to Danny he was heading out back and had taken to opportunity to escape and let his head get clear. Danny didn’t blame him. The adults were bad enough, but Beth and Jake, they were great kids, but God, they were loud when they wanted to be.

He wandered through the kitchen and saw the light on the back porch was on. He walked through the kitchen and was about to go out the back door when he saw Steve wasn’t alone. Pop was sitting next to him on the back steps, talking to him. Luckily Steve was smiling, so his Pop was probably finished with the threat portion of the conversation and was regaling Steve with stories from his stint in the army.

Steve was laughing, leaning back against the post, angling his profile towards the kitchen, and Danny’s breath caught at how utterly gorgeous he was.

His Pop wiped his eyes, laughing himself to tears at his own story (as usual) and leaned back, mirroring Steve.

“Seriously though,” he said, and Danny saw Steve shift his position to ‘relaxed attention’ as he had named it. It usually came out to play when Steve was dealing with Governor Denning and Steve couldn’t stand to loom over him. “I can tell you’re a bit over-whelmed,” he told Steve. “I know we’re a crazy bunch, and I remember how hard it was to meet Allie’s family for the first time. We’re a thousand times worse, I admit that. And I can imagine it’s a bit harder for you now…” he trailed off and Danny wasn’t sure if he meant because he was a man, or a man who had been in the military, but Steve seemed to get it.

“Let me just tell you here and now, Steve,” Pop leaned forward “you have nothing to worry about. Allie and I approve of the two of you 100%.” Steve seemed to sag at the words, all tension leaving his body, and Danny realised just how nervous Steve really had been about it. The goof. He should have listened to Danny.

“Danny’s been open about everything with us since he was fifteen and admitted he liked boys as well as girls,” Pop continued, and Danny blushed at the memory of his nervous and stammering coming out to his parents. They hadn’t been very surprised. Apparently, him and Johnny from down the street weren’t very subtle. “And I’ll tell you this now, Danny hasn’t been so happy since things went sour with Rachael. Before, even. I haven’t seen him smile at anyone like that, _ever_. You make my boy happy, Steve. That’s all we ask.” He paused. “Well,” he considered, “that and more grandkids, if possible.”

“God, Pop!” Danny couldn’t help himself exclaiming, and his father turned from Steve’s furiously blushing face and laughed at him.

“I’m your father,” he said. “It’s my prerogative to bug you for grandkids. Aside from Gracie, of course. She’s my oldest and my angel.”

“That she is,” Danny agreed, stepping out onto the porch. “About the rest, we’ll see…” he said, eyeing Steve’s flushed features.

“Lotta kids out there looking for a good home,” Pop said, standing and patting Danny on the shoulder as he passed. “Think about it.”

Danny sat next to Steve whose colour was gradually returning to normal.

“You ok, Babe?” he asked.

“Your family is amazing,” Steve said, awe in his voice. “Crazy, terrifying, insane! But amazing.”

“I know,” Danny smiled. “I’m pretty lucky.”

“You are,” Steve said softly. Danny slid over and tucked an arm around his waist.

“They’re your family too,” he said, pressing a kiss on his neck. “What’s mine is yours, and all that. They have you in their sights. There’s no escaping now.”

“I think I’m ok with that,” Steve admitted, kissing Danny slowly.

A sudden increase in the noise from inside broke them apart, and his mother burst out onto the porch.

“Katie’s pregnant!” she exclaimed before she ran back inside.

“I knew it!” Danny crowed. “She never wears such loose sweaters this time of year.” He stood and offered a hand to Steve.

“Coming in to say congratulations?” he asked. Steve smiled and let Danny pull him up.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said and followed Danny back inside. “Maybe your folks won’t be so eager for another grandchild for a while yet now,” he mused.

“That’s what you think, Babe. That’s what you think.”


End file.
